The Path to the Pokémon League
Plot The episode opens with our heroes on their way to Vermilion City. Along the way, Ash has a battle with another trainer and defeats his Rattata with Pidgeotto, securing his 10th victory. The young trainer admires Ash's badges, leading Misty to muse that giving Ash the Cascade Badge may have been a mistake. The trainer points the gang in the direction of an unofficial gym, where a strong trainer named A.J., who has supposedly never lost a match, trains savage Pokemon. The sign indicates that the gym is unlicensed by the Pokemon League and the gym leader has a record of 98 straight wins and 0 losses. As Misty insults Ash, A.J. appears and challenges him to battle. A.J cracks his whip, making Ash jump, and says he'll start competing for badges one he's secured his 100th victory. Ash smugly tells him he has ten victories and two badges, at which point A.J. insults the gyms he won them from, angering Brock and Misty. A.J. summons a Sandshrew to battle, which Misty tells Ash that Pikachu would be useless in a battle against it, but Ash rejects the advice and sends out Pidgeotto. Brock notes that a flying type Pokemon should have the advantage. However, at the crack of A.J.'s whip (just like a lion tamer, according to Misty), Sandshrew rolls itself into a ball and hurls itself into the air, striking and defeating Pidgeotto. Ash then calls out Butterfree, and has it use Stun Spore, but with another crack of A.J.'s whip, Sandshrew uses Dig to avoid it. Sandshrew then bursts out of the ground and beats Butterfree as well. Ash tries to send out Pikachu, but Pikachu refuses, and shocks Ash as well. While all this is happening, Team Rocket watches from a nearby tree. They decide to steal A.J.'s Sandshrew. Refusing to believe anyone could be that strong, Ash challenges A.J. to a rematch, but A.J. refuses and tells him to stop complaining. Later, Ash overhears A.J. training his Pokemon, angrily yelling at it, and cracking his whip. Ash tries to intervene, but A.J. tells him to mind his own business. His Sandshrew is wearing a strength intensifier brace that A.J. created himself. It enables Sandshrew to withstand the weakening effects of water. A.J. adds that he's tougher on Sandshrew than his other Pokemon because it was his first Pokemon. Appalled by A.J.'s training methods, Ash asserts that a trainer should make friends with his Pokemon. He asks for Brock's input, but Brock asks A.J. what kind of Pokemon Food he's using, and A.J. says that he mixes his own food from his own secret recipe, much like Brock. Pikachu attempts to pick up one of Sandshrew's dumbbells, but falls backwards under the weight while Sandshrew does rapid exercises. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is crouched behind A.J.'s tent, preparing for the attempted heist. A bell rings, and A.J. lets his exhausted Pokemon take a break. A.J. insults Pikachu, and Ash takes a swing at him for it, causing them both to fall into the pool. Pikachu tries the strength intensifier, but it fits badly and pulls him into a ball. Sandshrew makes fun of Pikachu and rolls itself into a ball as well. Team Rocket rolls into the tent inside a rubber ball, intending to steal Pikachu, but grab Sandshrew instead. After the bell rings to signal the end of the resting period for A.J.'s Pokemon, A.J. realizes that Sandshrew is missing. He spots and releases Pikachu from the brace, but Pikachu doesn't know where Sandshrew is either. Ash suggests that it ran away since it saw how better trained Pikachu is, but A.J., insulted, insists that Sandshrew wouldn't run away after all the two have been through. A.J. sends his Pokemon out to find Sandshrew, but Ash tries to convince them to leave with him. But despite the way that A.J. has treated them, they ignore Ash. Meanwhile, after arguing about who should carry their ill-gotten gain, Team Rocket is startled when Sandshrew bursts out. Meowth Bites Sandshrew's tail, and Sandshrew burrows underground in pain. While Ash and A.J. continue to argue, Sandshrew bursts out of the ground, dragging Meowth. Seeing how happy A.J. and Sandshrew are to be together again, the whole team realizes how deeply A.J. cares for his Pokemon. Mewoth then notices that he's surrounded by both angry Pokemon and angry trainers and heroes, and tries to figure a way out of his situation, when Jessie and James show up and say their motto. Jessie tells A.J. that taking Sandshrew was a mistake, with James calling it second-rate, earning A.J.'s ire. A.J. then challenges them to a handicap battle. When the unfair battle begins, Sandshrew easily avoids Koffing's Sludge attack and Ekan's Wrap attack, and beats them both. Meowth tries to fight, but ends up breaking his teeth when he tries to use Bite on Sandshrew's armored body. Team Rocket then flees after Sandshrew uses Fissure, marking A.J.'s 100th win, meaning that he is now ready to start competing for badges. Turns out that, like Ash, he wants to become the world's greatest Pokemon Master. They part as friendly rivals, agreeing to hopefully meet in the future at the Pokemon League competitions. Major events *Liam is revealed that he had a battle with A.J. but lost. *Ash has an official battle with A.J. but loses, making A.J. get his 99th win. *Leafa is revealed to own an Oddish. *Negi's Eevee is revealed to know Dig and Swift. *Ash learns that there is a Gym in Vermilion City. *Meowth is revealed to know Bite. *Jessie's Ekans is revealed to know Wrap. *Ben's Charizard is revealed to be his starter he got from Professor Oak as a Charmander. *Ben is revealed to have battled A.J. and lost. *Tsumugi's Nidoran, Nida, learns Poison Fang, evolves into Nidorina, and learns Aerial Ace. *Tsumugi and A.J. battle Team Rocket and wins, making A.J. get his 100th win, thanks to Tsumugi's help. Characters 'Humans' *Liam *Ash *Misty *Brock *Yui Hirasawa *Mio Akiyama *Ritsu Tainaka *Tsumugi Kotobuki *Azusa Nakano *Ui Hirasawa *Jessie *James *Negi Springfield *Yue Ayase *Asuna Kagurazaka *Konoka Konoe *Haruna Saotome *Setsuna Sakurazaki *Makie Sasaki *Nodoka Miyazaki *Ayaka Yukihiro Animals *Spyro *Chamo 'Pokemon' *Pikachu (Ash's) *Meowth (Team Rocket) *Butterfree (Ash's) *Pidgeotto (Ash's) *Charmeleon (Liam's) *Nidorino (Liam's) *Charmamder (Ben's; flashback) *Charizard (Ben's) *Clefable (Ben's; Pixie) *Ekans (Jessie's) *Koffing (James's) *Eevee (Negi's) *Eevee (Nodoka Miyazaki's) *Sandshrew (Nodoka Miyazaki's) *Skitty (Azusa Nakano's) *Nidoran (Tsumugi's; Nida; evolves) *Nidorina (Tsumugi's; Nida; debut; newly evolved) *Oddish (Leafa's; debut) *Sandshrew (A.J.'s) *Butterfree (A.J.'s) *Beedrill (A.J.'s) *Rattata (A.J.'s; ×3) *Rattata (Trainer's) Trivia Transcript The Path to the Pokémon League/(Transcript) Category:NegimaLover Category:Episodes Category:Liam's Adventures Series Category:Main Characters Pokemon who evolved in the episode Category:This Episode learn new moves